


Good Enough (For Now)

by Oodles



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, McReyes Week, i guess, mcreyes - Freeform, when you're crushing on your boss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-28
Packaged: 2018-09-02 21:51:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8684752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oodles/pseuds/Oodles
Summary: Jesse's not so good with words.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short exercise for McReyes week but I could turn it into a longer thing later if people like it.  
> ~Unedited by other humans, forgive me~

Gabe sees the blinking light indicating an unseen message on his comm sitting on the bedside table. He shuts the door to his room and goes to the bed, sitting heavily on the edge. He picks up the comm, opens up the holo screen menu and scrolls through until the message menu shows up.

“You have one unseen message. From. Jesse McCree.” 

Gabe furrows his brow, hunches forward and opens the video, despite the knot in his stomach. 

Jesse’s face pops up onto the screen, hunched over his comm in the same position as Gabe, the poster covered wall of his room behind him. His wild hair is uncovered. The screen shakes a little. He’s probably bouncing his leg up and down like he does when he’s nervous. 

“Shit,” Jesse says, and the screen goes still. “Sorry. I know you hate that, the leg thing.” He sighs and starts to smile. “You know, Angela was telling me about restless leg syndrome, maybe I have that.” His smile turns crooked and he rakes a hand through his hair. “Nah, I know, it’s not true.”

Gabe scratches his beard, wondering what the point of this is.

Jesse pulls on his kerchief, loosening it from around his neck. “Shit, you know I’m no good with words. Almost wrote you out a message, but I figured showing my face was at least a little more brave…. _ braver _ than that. I’m trying, boss.”

The knot in Gabe’s stomach tightens. 

Jesse lets out a huff of air. He lifts his hand to his mouth, stops, sets his hand below screen. “That no smokin’ rule really tears me up.”

Gabe lets out a small puff of laughter. He knows. 

“You know that,” Jesse says, echoing Gabe’s thoughts. He licks his lips, gaze cast aside. “I’m about to leave for the reconn to L.A. Two fucking weeks. I was surprised you didn’t come with, considering. I’m kinda…” His shoulders rise up toward his ears. “Sad you’re not coming.” The shoulders drop and his gaze shoots back to the camera. “It’s just, I think we work well together, you know? I don’t know, maybe it’s ‘cause you trained me.”

Jesse starts to fold in on himself, bringing his arms together, gaze darting away again. “But I guess it means you think I’m good enough, now. I don’t think you’ll say it. But I think it’s what you mean. But, like, shit, you coulda showed me a thing or two. Ain't that where you grew up?” He questions the camera directly and Gabe wants to shrink away from it. “Maybe you’re avoidin’ it on purpose. Bad memories?”

_ Kid’s smarter than he knows _ , Gabe thinks. 

Jesse chuckles to himself. “Military’ll draw that crowd in, huh? People who want to forget shit.” 

His face slowly goes blank. “I think, if I could, I’d forget about life before Overwatch. I mean, not much there to remember, ‘sides how I was the best damn shot of the Deadlocks.” He makes a gun with his fingers, back to that easy laugh. Gabe shakes his head, but he’s smiling anyway. 

Jesse drops his hand. “You’re probably wondering what point I’m trying to make.”

_ Yeah _ , Gabe thinks. 

Jesse rubs at his eyes, suddenly looking exhausted. He lets out another long sigh. “We… you…” 

Gabe can practically see the gears turning behind Jesse’s eyes. 

“Thing is, I  _ can’t _ forget the Deadlocks,” Jesse says, gesturing with his hand at this massive memory. “But… I also can’t forget that you got me out of there. I don’t want to forget that. I want  _ that _ forever. That memory’ll stick with me ‘til I die. Even among the dirt and fucking scum and blood in my head.” The screen shakes again with his leg. He bites his thumbnail and stares, hard, at the wall. A minute goes by and Gabe watches Jesse try to rein himself in. Both of their chests rise and fall in big swells. The camera settles again.

Jesse opens his mouth, opens his hand. “Why’s this so hard to say? You’re not even here.”

Gabe’s eyes widen just a bit. He glances at his own door once, twice, did he lock it? He can’t remember. Damnit.

“It’s just…” Jesse starts. “You’re…”

He starts laughing at himself and rubs his eyes. “Shit, I’m like a fucking schoolgirl.”

That tightness spreads across Gabe’s chest, grabbing his heart. What the hell is he saying? 

Jesse mumbles, “I’m just gonna spit it out.” 

Louder, “I like you.”

Gabe can hear his pulse roaring blood in his ears.

Jesse finally looks back at the camera, right at Gabe. “I don’t think enough people tell you that. I fucking like you. I think you’re great. You saved my ass, you’re a fucking hero.” He leans his hand on his knee. “Man, fuck Jack Morrison”

Gabe actually laughs aloud. 

“Everyone thinks he’s the hero, but it’s you.” Jesse points at the camera. “You’re the one doing shit, really changing things. You changed me, at least.”

Jesse blinks and leans back, sticking his hand back in his hair. Gabe can tell he’s missing the hat. He only takes it off when he’s trying to be respectful, or if he’s on a mission. 

“I’m really trying, boss, can you tell?” Jesse asks, pulling lightly on his hair. He lets it go and smiles at nothing. “That’s it, really. I’m trying so goddamn hard. I know I said I hated you for a while.” Jesse makes a face. “ _ Especially _ the asshole who sent me to basic training.” The smile breaks through again. “But I’m still here. It’s ‘cause of you.”

Gabe drums his fingers along his thigh. He is very glad the cowboy is not here himself to have told Gabe this in person. Shock pervades his system. 

“I’m sort of bummed I’m missing christmas for this mission,” Jesse says. “Everyone was so nice to me last year, y’know, since I hadn’t really done the whole christmas thing before. I know I volunteered since I’m not, like, religious or whatever, but…well you know I’m poor as shit and I can’t buy anyone anything anyway.” He chuckles. “Anyone. Anything. Anyway. What is that word?” He snaps his fingers with a grin. “Alliteration.  _ That’s _ a fucking word.”

Jesse turns away from the camera again, resting his chin on his fist. The seconds tick by before he speaks again. “Guess, well, this is kinda my present to you. Sorry I’m too much of a coward to tell ya in person. It’s just… I think you might prefer it this way. So when I get back in two weeks… it’s okay if you don’t say anything. We can just keep going like it never happened. You’re my C.O. right? Don’t even worry about this. Prolly shouldn’da made it at all. People can see this shit, right? Monitored lines, I guess.”

_ Not mine _ , Gabe thinks.

“Maybe not yours though,” Jesse adds with a quirk of his eyebrow. “Anyway. Fuck it. This has gone on  _ way _ too long. Sorry, Gabe.” Jesse shakes his head real quick. “Boss. I’ll see you soon.”

Jesse gives one last big dopey grin, (is he blushing?) and the video cuts out. 

Gabe stares at the screen, the mechanical voice asking if he wants to play it again. 

“Say. Play again. If you wish to hear this message again. Say. Save. To mark message as seen in your inbox. Say. Reply. To record your own message to send back. Say. Delete. To erase this message.”

Gabe takes a breath. He covers his mouth with one hand, trying to work through the knots. 

Jesse called him Gabe. He’s never done that before. Which means he’s been thinking about it long enough that it slipped out by accident, or he was trying it out for the first time. Either way… 

Gabe shakes his head, lets out his breath, stares at the wall. 

He opens his mouth, shuts it, opens it.  

“Shit.”

“I do not understand this command.”

“Fuck off,” Gabe mutters.

“I do not understand this command.”

“Play again,” he snaps. “Just... play it again.”

_ Beep. _

“Shit… sorry. I know you hate that, the leg thing…”

**Author's Note:**

> @oodleswrites


End file.
